Eating Disorder Myths And Realities

Only teenage girls suffer from eating disorders.
Many eating disorders do begin in the teenage years, but children, men, older women and just about anyone can fall victim to this terrible disorder.

You can never fully recover from an eating disorder.
Recovery takes a long time, but with hard work and the proper treatment, you can fully recover from your eating disorder.

Men with eating disorders are always gay.
Someone’s sexual preference has nothing to do with them developing an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are simply a problem with food.
With all eating disorders, weight is the focus of life. By focusing on food, weight and calories, a person is able to block out or numb painful feelings and emotions. Some use food as a way to comfort themselves.

You can always tell someone is anorexic by their appearance.
Not all anorexics look like the extreme cases shown on television. Some anorexics may be anywhere from 5 to 15 lbs. underweight. Just because someone does not look emaciated, does not mean they are not anorexic or that their health is not in danger.